Built in 2009, it's unclear whether this home meets the country's earthquake code, but we certainly hope so.

While the sun isn’t great for keeping a beach-home cool, it is a superb source of renewable energy. Plus Arquitectura played to the site’s strengths by incorporating solar panels onto the Y-shaped roof, and then blocked unwanted sun with glazed windows and passive design. Radiant heating and two double combustion fireplaces keep the building warm during cooler months, so this house definitely isn’t gobbling up a lot of energy to stay warm.